Only a foolish bird would stay.
After fleeing the mountain, Cen Moyu traveled day and night while carrying his bird egg. He was terrified that if he were even a single step too slow, Wenren Qi would catch him.
Old Wang, the gate-keeping master, had been surprisingly generous. Suspecting that Cen Moyu had been swindled or was facing hard times, the old man had insisted that even if he got married, he must keep some private savings.
Cen Moyu had entered the Qingheng Sect immediately after transmigrating into the book, so he knew very little about the lives of ordinary mortals. Now that he was truly living on his own, he stared at his map for a long time before eventually seeking help from the System.
“System, what do you think about me raising the baby here?”
The System replied, [It is not good.]
Cen Moyu looked out the window. The weather was beautiful, and the calls of street vendors below were endless. “Why?”
The System knew that its host was not from this world. In the beginning, they could barely communicate. Even though Cen Moyu was interested in the local culture, his understanding was often like a chicken talking to a duck. He had asked the System many questions that were difficult to answer.
For instance, he asked if the System had a built-in translator. He also asked if it had an electric shock function, or if it would erase him if he failed to complete a task. His questions even made the spontaneously generated System wonder why it existed in the first place.
It was a wisp of companion consciousness that even powerful cultivators would struggle to detect, residing within Cen Moyu’s mind. Often, the System felt as though it existed solely for his sake. Cen Moyu had many questions, and the System could answer them. However, no one could answer the System’s own doubts.
[This city was born by the sea and is home to many spirits. You are a bird-demon. If you are dragged into the depths of the ocean, you will surely die.]
Cen Moyu, dressed in simple robes, felt a lingering fear. “There are sea demons?”
He had traveled quickly, bypassing many dangers thanks to the System’s warnings. He had assumed that a prosperous human city would be much safer, but it was still unsuitable for his survival.
“I cannot defeat them!” Cen Moyu was very aware of his own limitations. He was scared to death of the lonely ghosts and wild spirits he encountered on the road. Even a rat demon could chase him for miles. If nothing else, his running speed had improved significantly.
Cen Moyu folded the map. “Then I should leave early. I cannot delay the hatching.”
He needed to leave, yet he also needed to incubate the egg. Perhaps because he was a male bird who had laid an egg, he did not have the usual requirement of alternating with a female for warmth. Every night, Cen Moyu would transform back into his bird form and sleep while cradling the egg. If there was danger, the System would wake him.
The System said, [Go to Ruiyi City.]
Cen Moyu asked, “Where is that on the map?”
The System replied, [You are illiterate. Even if I told you, you would not know where it is.]
Cen Moyu accepted the scolding gracefully. “You can teach me. I am not exactly illiterate; it is just that some of the characters here are too complex. Unless it involves equipment from the Qingheng Sect gate, I do not recognize them. If you lived in my world, you would find that I am actually very impressive.”
The System sighed. [Yes, you can sing and write songs, yet you were still swindled by a man.]
No matter how heavy a wound was, after enough time, the feeling faded. Cen Moyu had forgotten what his first love looked like and was too lazy to think about it. He looked at the bird egg wrapped in a floral cloth. “I can even swindle men now. Is that not progress?”
The System was speechless. Recalling Cen Moyu’s miserable state after being tormented by Wenren Qi, it thought about how he had been used and then ran away while pregnant. There was no progress in that.
However, Cen Moyu had grown much stronger during this journey. He was no longer the little bird who chirped in terror at the sight of a falcon. Even though the egg had not yet hatched, he spoke to it every day, calling it “baby” with a tone far kinder than the one he used with the System.
“I know you are calling me useless again even if you do not say it,” Cen Moyu muttered, lifting the cloth bundle. “The baby would never scold me.”
Even a bird-demon with low cultivation could sense if an egg was alive. The egg he had laid so mysteriously after that night of pain was very lively and clearly loved him. When Cen Moyu played his flute, it would roll back and forth on the table as if it were clapping. In terms of providing emotional support, his child was much better than the System.
“Is the place you mentioned this one?”
Cen Moyu pointed to a character on the map. Just as the System was about to say he had pointed to the wrong spot, the bird egg hopped out of the bundle, rolled to the correct location, and began bouncing in place.
Ordinary bird eggs were fragile, but this one had been surrounded by a faint blue light since birth. Cen Moyu did not know what it was, but the System understood that it was Wenren Qi’s innate pure energy. The mission was a total failure. The egg was born with a brand, as if Cen Moyu’s very soul had been marked. Initially, the System had urged Cen Moyu to leave the egg for Wenren Qi, but Cen Moyu refused.
As the spiritual energy leaked from the egg, the little fellow inside seemed to pose a great risk once it hatched. Protected by the System, Cen Moyu failed to notice that he was attracting more monsters on his journey. They were not trying to eat him, but rather the egg he had produced.
He had to find a safe place. It could not be too remote, nor could it be too prosperous. The System dared not say it, but raising a child conceived between a minor demon and a top-tier cultivator was bound to be a headache.
The System had no physical form and lived in Cen Moyu’s consciousness, but when it stared at the egg, the thumb-sized object sensed it. It rolled into its father’s palm as if acting spoiled.
“So cute,” Cen Moyu said as he poked the egg. “Are you telling me which place it is? System, is it this place?”
The System hummed in affirmation. Cen Moyu picked up the egg and gave it a kiss. “Good baby.”
Even a bird egg could turn red from embarrassment. The System thought that it would have been better to throw it to its biological father from the start. Cen Moyu would likely regret keeping this egg sooner or later.
Parents always have selfish desires, mostly wishing for their children to be obedient. If they produce a little devil, they inevitably regret their previous indulgence. Cen Moyu was too indecisive and naive. It was highly likely that once this little creature grew up, it would take after Wenren Qi and even swindle Cen Moyu.
The System did not say these things to Cen Moyu. It also did not understand why it felt no urgency regarding the mission to bring the protagonist and the love interest together. Staying by Cen Moyu’s side felt like the most important thing.
Ruiyi City was a city under the protection of the Jixue Sect and was one of the few places currently untouched by war. Cen Moyu did not dare stay too close to these major sects, so he specifically chose a remote small town. This place was far from the coast, surrounded by mountains and farmland.
Cen Moyu rented a small courtyard. After confirming there were no rat demons or talking weasels in the vicinity, he finally relaxed. He had never hatched an egg before. No matter how smart his little bird was, it had yet to break its shell. The System had no experience raising birds and did not know if this bird would eventually transform into a human.
There were not many people in town. However, because of traveling merchants, there were quite a few inns. Food stalls and small shops were clustered together. Cen Moyu arrived at the perfect time because a large group of people had their eyes on the mines to the northwest, so he did not stand out as a stranger.
Once settled, Cen Moyu planted trees and flowers in the backyard. Even though he identified as human, he still transformed into his original form every day to spend time with the bird egg in the nest under the tree.
It was during this time that he received a voice transmission from Mai Li. Mai Li had spent nearly a year with the team clearing out the remnants of the demon cultivators. He mentioned that his lover, Senior Brother Tiansui, who was originally scarred, was now even more disfigured, but he found him increasingly handsome.
Mai Li spent a long time praising his lover before finally asking Cen Moyu how he was doing. “It is a pity that despite your hard work in learning to fly, you still missed Lu Jijun.”
The person Mai Li loved was honest and steady. The little sparrow expressed much regret in his words, saying that Lu Jijun was too old-fashioned. “If only I could give birth, that would be wonderful. I would have a nest of six, and he would be too busy to worry about how the other disciples are practicing today.”
Hearing this, Cen Moyu looked awkwardly at his bird nest, which had been taken over by a magpie. This bird had a very loud voice and chattered incessantly. Although Cen Moyu could understand it, he wanted to pretend he did not. It was very rude, calling him a human pervert for putting a chicken egg and a bird egg together.
“Lu Jijun is not a good match,” Mai Li continued. “He is all lovey-dovey with that Hehuan Sect demoness. I went out at midnight and found him coming out of her tent. The world is going downhill. His clothes were disheveled, and he has less shame than a demon. Little Pitta, you should find someone else to love.”
Cen Moyu’s voice transmission was intermittent. The magpie was loud, demanding to know why the human was not helping watch its children.
“I am no longer at the Qingheng Sect,” the Fairy Pitta’s voice was faint, almost drowned out by the magpie. “I quit.”
Mai Li was confused for a long time after receiving the message and asked him why. Cen Moyu seemed to be somewhere far away; the transmission fluctuated and felt disconnected, vaguely suggesting he had offended someone. He did not give Mai Li a specific address, but it was clear the area was near the Jixue Sect.
When Lu Jijun produced those torn, tattered clothes, Mai Li understood. It seemed the one the Fairy Pitta had offended was the Sect Leader, Wenren Qi. For perfectly good clothes to be torn to that extent, how much could he have offended him?
Mai Li’s mood was complex. He did not know whether to admire Cen Moyu for accidentally plucking the “High Mountain Flower” of the immortal sect that countless others failed to reach, or to pity his extreme bad luck. For a Gate-Closing Disciple, this was a massive act of disrespect. For their status as demons, it was no different from seeking death.
Running away was only natural. Only a foolish bird would stay. Fearing that something might happen after Lu Jijun informed the Sect Leader, Mai Li took a leave of absence and immediately set off for the place where Cen Moyu was currently staying.
In the backyard of the main hall of the Qingheng Sect, Jueya looked at Lu Jijun, then at Wenren Qi, who remained silent and seemed to be playing with the flowing water. Lan Que also arrived in a hurry, bringing with him the mountain gate manager, Wang Qian, whom the Sect Leader had specifically requested.
The atmosphere was not right. Lu Jijun silently took two steps back. Wenren Qi looked at the splashing water in the pond. Since his cultivation had not yet recovered, he naturally could not leave the Qingheng Sect.
“You said the Gate-Closing Disciple quit? Why?”
Wenren Qi had already asked this question. Lu Jijun dared not provoke him and looked toward Lan Que. Lan Que gave Wang Qian a nudge with his elbow. The Gate-Closing Master, who had not fully sobered up, froze for a few seconds. His speech was a bit slurred as he said, “That child? His wife at home is about to give birth, so he resigned and went down the mountain.”
The water ladle in Wenren Qi’s hand turned to dust and merged into the pond. Lu Jijun kept his eyes lowered, thinking that his master was still incredibly powerful despite the failed ascension.
Wenren Qi closed his eyes. Those innocent eyes of Cen Moyu had left him unable to sleep at night. “He is married?”
Jueya could not help himself. “Do you know what ‘about to give birth’ means? If the child is coming, he must already be married! Who else would be like you, so old yet still a virgin!”